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Termogent Forest
Locations article |image=Defiance-C8-MansionIntro-IgnisFatuus.png |caption=Raziel in the Termogent Forest in Legacy of Kain: Defiance |introduced= Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) |appearances= Blood Omen Defiance }} The Termogent Forest, also known as the Black Forest, was a massive swamp filled forest in central Nosgoth that appeared in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. The marshland was filled with crumbling ruins holding many secrets, weapons and powers. At the forest's western edge lay the Lake of the Dead and notably the ancient vampire Vorador made his home within the swamp. Vorador's Mansion stood at the centre of the Termogent Forest, the path leading there marked by the Ignis Fatuus, skull shaped torches that glowed with green energy. Role The Termogent Forest appeared in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and was briefly revisited in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, being visited by both Kain and Raziel. The Termogent Forest was first mentioned in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain in the chapter Find the Oracle as Moebius - in the guise of the "Oracle of Nosgoth" - instructed the fledgling vampire Kain to follow the Ignis Fatuus to the forest in search of Vorador and a way to defeat Conflict Guardian Malek. After passing the Lake of the Dead and the Mist Form dungeon, Kain was able to enter the Forest in the chapter Vorador's Mansion, where he found a vast forested swampland filled with many ruins, with several Ignis Fatuus - skull shaped lanterns - indicating a trail westward. Along the way Kain could explore some of the ruins, structures and caves in the area. Three 'dungeon' keeps - the Flame Sword dungeon, the Control Mind dungeon and the Blood Gout dungeon could be found within and caverns led to Spirit forges for Anti-toxin artifacts and Energy bank artifacts as well as a Blood fountain for increased strength. Following the Ignis Fatuus westward, the path shrank to a single trail which spiraled around the western area of the forest inward to Vorador's Mansion at the center. Exploring the Mansion and meeting with Vorador, Kain was able to secure assistance from the elder vampire and left by a secret path which led him beyond the forest to a cave on the outskirts of Uschtenheim. When Raziel progressed from the Subterranean Ruins towards Uschtenheim in Soul Reaver 2 in the chapter Through the Swamp, he too passed through a heavily forested location bearing many of the hallmarks of the forest, but was never explicitly identified as such - only as "the swamp" - with its location suggesting that it bordered the Termogent Forest of Blood Omen. Raziel returned through the swamp all three time periods. Raziel returned to the the Termogent Forest proper in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, when advised by Ariel to seek Vorador in the black forest in Find the Location of Vorador's Mansion. Travelling on a lesser used trail from the Pillars through the Forest, Raziel arrived at Vorador's Mansion in the chapter Find Vorador and was able to find Vorador within. Departing for Avernus after Vorador's suggestion of seeking the Heart of Darkness, Raziel would return to the masnsion in Return to the Guardian Citadel after recovering the heart by apparently killing Kain. Fighting Moebius's mercenary army through the structure Raziel would revive Janos Audron and be teleported to the Vampire Citadel, leaving the forest behind. The forest itself was only seen briefly and not encountered as a playable location, with Vorador's Mansion fulfilling that role. History Much of the history and timeline of the forest is unknown, by the time of Blood Omen the forest was already an overgrown marsh. Vorador was known to lurk amongst the ruins during the time of Kain's birth and the corruption of the Pillars, his Mansion was visited by both Kain and Raziel some thirty years later. At some point during Kain's reign the forest is obliterated and only a desolate wasteland remains, there is no evidence of the forest's existence left during the time of Soul Reaver. The ruins scattered throughout the forest contained many secrets. As a fledgeling vampire Kain discovered the Flame Sword hidden within one of the ruins and obtained the Blood Gout and Control Mind powers from others. Design and Layout BO1-Map0001-Sect43-TermogentForestWest.png|West Termogent Forest (with Three Keeps) BO1-Map0001-Sect44-TermogentForestEast.png|East Termogent Forest (with Vorador's Mansion) The general environment of the Termogent Forest consisted of a forested marshland. The area was hemmed in by high cliffs and much it was covered in Water and swampy terrain with occasional patches of grass and many Trees. Skull-shaped lanterns known as Ignis Fatuus were liberally scattered through the area - roughly marking a trail through several dungeons to Vorador's Mansion - and in addition a number of artifacts could be found dotted around the swamp. Several building were positioned in the area in various states of decay and ruin with most apparently abandoned to the swamp - and perhaps suggesting a previous era where the area was more inhabitable. Various enemies could be found inside the buildings of the area, although few ventured out into the swamp which remained the grounds for Zombies and - in the east particularly - Liches. The Termogent Forest could be broadly split into two map areas, west and east: BO1-Map0010-Sect00-BloodFountain.png BO1-Map0014-Sect14-SpiritForges-EnergyBank-Entrance-TermogentForest-3Keeps-SWCrack.png BO1-Map0014-Sect04-SpiritForges-EnergyBank-TermogentForest-3Keeps-SWCrack.png BO1-Map0014-Sect16-SpiritForges-AntiToxin-Entrance-TermogentForest-3Keeps-NCave.png BO1-Map0014-Sect06-SpiritForges-AntiToxin-TermogentForest-3Keeps-NCave.png BO1-TermogentForest-BloodGoutKeep-External.png BO1-Map0026-Sect00-TermogentForest-3Keeps-BloodGoutKeep.png BO1-Map0026-Sect01-TermogentForest-3Keeps-BloodGoutKeep.png BO1-Map0026-Sect02-TermogentForest-3Keeps-BloodGoutKeep.png BO1-Map0026-Sect03-TermogentForest-3Keeps-BloodGoutKeep.png BO1-TermogentForest-ControlMindKeep-External.png BO1-Map0025-Sect10-TermogentForest-3Keeps-ControlMindKeep.png BO1-Map0025-Sect00-TermogentForest-3Keeps-ControlMindKeep.png BO1-Map0025-Sect11-TermogentForest-3Keeps-ControlMindKeep.png BO1-Map0025-Sect01-TermogentForest-3Keeps-ControlMindKeep.png BO1-TermogentForest-FlameSwordKeep-External.png BO1-Map0030-Sect00-TermogentForest-3Keeps-FlameSwordKeep.png BO1-Map0030-Sect02-TermogentForest-3Keeps-FlameSwordKeep.png BO1-Map0030-Sect10-TermogentForest-3Keeps-FlameSwordKeep.png BO1-Map0030-Sect11-TermogentForest-3Keeps-FlameSwordKeep.png BO1-Map0030-Sect01-TermogentForest-3Keeps-FlameSwordKeep.png *The western Termogent Forest was more lightly forested and contained more destructible Trees that could be chopped down with the axes. It also extended over a wider, more-open area. The area began at a muddy trail in a ravine which led south from the Lake of the Dead and the Mist Form dungeon. After a short distance, the trail disappeared into grassy and then swampy and watery terrain as the cliff widened to reveal the open area of the forest-swamp. Shortly after the split, a crevice in the north cliff face housed a Font of putrescence artifact. To the south of this on the other side of the trail stood the remains of a keep-like building which was almost completely ruined, with the open walls housing another font artifact, with a third being found just to the east. To the south of the third putresce a small muddy island could be found housing a Blood beaker which was defended by three Zombies. Southwest of this stood another keep on grassy ground and in considerably better condition than the last, although this was still partially ruined and sealed from entry. From here patches of swampy and grassy ground led northwest - passing another putresce artifact - to a cave in the western wall of the forest. Here Kain could find a Blood fountain which increased his strength. Heading southwest from the sealed keep led over another patch of water to a slightly raised section in the southeast of the area which could be jumped to using Wolf Form to gain an Energy bank artifact. Behind the energy bank was positioned a permeable crack in the cliff wall which allowed Kain to use Mist Form to breach and reach the cavernous Energy Bank Spirit forge within. Heading southeast from the sealed keep led down a narrow grassy trail to another putresce artifact, with an energy bank directly south hidden in a crevice in the southern cliffs. Heading northwest across the swamp would lead to another keep with it's entrance protected by Trees - this was the Blood Gout dungeon. A patchy grassy trail led northward to another keep and another dungeon, this time the Control Mind dungeon. As the trail headed up to the northeast a branch could be followed across to the third major keep-dungeon - the Flame Sword dungeon. A putresce could be found around the western side of the keep and from here a short walk across swampy ground led to another cave in the northern cliff face protected by a solitary tree - this led underground to the Anti-toxin Spirit forge. The main trail heading northeast from the control mind keep led to the eastern area of the forest. *The eastern forest was much more densely forested than the west with heavy concentrations of impenetrable vegetation and woodland that effectively reduced movement through the forest to a single trail - with the cliffs widening again, it was now the treeline which contained the accessible area. The area began at a wide area of marshland hemmed in by cliffs to the north and south with several Liches populating the nearby area. To the south east a gap in the trees contained an Energy Bank and Pentaliche of Tarot. Patches of grass and Ignis Fatuus lanterns led up to the norteast as the trees narrowed the path from the south. The cliff to the north soon ended and was replaced by more impenetrable trees, with another Energy Bank hidden in a gap in the trees to the south of this. The trail narrowed between the trees and headed to the northeast, largely made up of swamp terrain with a thin patch of grass or mud along the northern tree-line populated by Zombies. At the northern zenith a vista point marked the change in direction of the path, with the trail now heading southeast at a shallow angle, passing a Shooters flower along the way. BO1-Vorador's Mansion-Zoom Out.png BO1-Map0029-Sect42-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect41-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect40-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect33-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect32-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect31-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect30-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect23-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect52-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect51-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect50-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect43-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect22-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect21-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect20-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect13-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect12-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect11-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect10-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect08-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect03-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect02-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect01-Vorador'sMansion.png BO1-Map0029-Sect00-Vorador'sMansion.png Connections In Blood Omen For the Western Termogent Forest: *The northwestern trail leads north to the eastern Lake of the Dead and the Mist Form dungeon - leading onto the Lost City *The western cave leads to a Blood fountain increasing strength *A crack in the southwestern cliff leads to the Energy bank Spirit forge *The northern cave (obstructed by a tree) leads to the Anti-toxin Spirit forge *The northeastern structure is the Flame Sword dungeon *The middle-eastern structure is the Control Mind dungeon *The southeastern structure is the Blood Gout dungeon *The eastern trail leads into the eastern Termogent Forest For the Eastern Termogent Forest: *The western trail leads to the eastern Termogent Forest *The middle structure is Vorador's Mansion - leading onto Uschtenheim In Defiance For Vorador's Mansion: *The main courtyard door leads back through the forest to the Pillars of Nosgoth *The Library Vista leads through the forest to Avernus/Avernus Cathedral Notes BO1-Render-BatFlight-VoradorMansion.png|Vista view looking over the forest from the Lake of the Dead toward Vorador's Mansion (BO1) Defiance-Mansion-AvernusVista.png|Vista view looking over the forest from Vorador's Mansion toward Avernus (Def) *The Termogent Forest area is referred to in dialogue, stage directions and Prima guides alternatively as the "Termogent Forest" or simply the "Black Forest" . The Termogent term also has a number of variant spellings, appearing as "Termogent", "Termagent" and "Termagant" ; the "Termagant" variant is featured in the original Blood Omen scripts, but appears to have been largely superseded by the "Termogent" spelling in later sources. *According to maps, the Termogent Forest area occupies a position roughly bordered by Steinchencröe, the Lake of the Dead, Uschtenheim and Avernus around its western, northern and eastern extremes. With a nearby location, similar structures, features and terrain, the Swamp area of Soul Reaver 2 could be considered to represent a part of the Termogent Forest, however the Swamp area is never named as such, only as "the swamp" - which is a terrain type in Blood Omen and not a location. Additionally the two locations do not appear to occupy the same position on maps, with the forest appearing to be directly north of the area identified as the Swamp in Soul Reaver 2 maps. The Dark Forge of Soul Reaver 2 seems to be at the border between the two locations and may occupy the raised area seen south of the forest in Blood Omen. *In Blood Omen, the Forest area is split into two 'overland maps' covering the western and eastern parts of the forest. In the Prima guide, the western area is referred to as "the Three Keeps", relating to the various ruins in the area, particularly the Flame Sword dungeon, Control Mind dungeon and the Blood Gout dungeon which could all be entered. The eastern area was is noted as "Into the Mansion", relating to the presence of Vorador's Mansion in this map. *Kain comments on Vorador's peculiar choice of home; vampires such as Kain and Vorador were extremely susceptible to the caustic effects of water – the swampland was a deadly place for a vampire. Appearances * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain * Legacy of Kain: Defiance See also *Swamp (location) *Swamp (terrain) *Flame Sword dungeon *Control Mind dungeon *Blood Gout dungeon *Vorador's Mansion References Navigation Category:Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Category:Blood Omen locations Category:Blood Omen outdoor locations Category:Defiance locations Category:Landmarks Category:Locations Category:Legacy of Kain: Defiance Category:Nosgoth